Automatic Transmission Service
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 324
Likes: 0
From: Norfolk VA
Automatic Transmission Service
Just got my 2003 Coupe back from the dealer for an oil change and VA State Inspection (both free!). I have 68,000 miles on the car and did a coolant flush at 50,000 miles. The Service Manager tells me I should consider a Automatic Transmission Service, cost of $475, $250 to drop the pan and replace the filter and gasket and $225 to replace the 14 quarts of transmission fluid. While I think the fluid could stand to be changed I think $475 is outrageous.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,375
Likes: 328
From: CA.
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15
WOW economy there must be tough-----
No way----You can get serviced 2 ways--One is to do a "system flush" most oil change shops can do this--They hook it up to a 'fluid exchanger" machine that pushes ALL the old fluid out and replaces it with new-----Here where I live It's between $80 - $130--Only drawback is they DO NOT replace the trans filter----However If you are the original owner and know the car's history--a filter change is not really required at 50K ish
The other way to service it would be to drop the trans pan --replace the filter--BUT the drawback this way is they can only replace about 4 qts fluid out of the total-----And I don't think it hold 14 qts---Its more like 8 so
they get about 1/2 of it---
about $40-$60 for this way
Its a 30 min job to remove the pan--on a car with stock exhaust-If your exhaust is in the way maybe 1 hour--Even an hour would mean they are charging you $250 an hour !! here ( calif) Dealer labor rates are around
$100 hr and 8 qts if fluid and the filter/gaskt maybe $50
No way----You can get serviced 2 ways--One is to do a "system flush" most oil change shops can do this--They hook it up to a 'fluid exchanger" machine that pushes ALL the old fluid out and replaces it with new-----Here where I live It's between $80 - $130--Only drawback is they DO NOT replace the trans filter----However If you are the original owner and know the car's history--a filter change is not really required at 50K ish
The other way to service it would be to drop the trans pan --replace the filter--BUT the drawback this way is they can only replace about 4 qts fluid out of the total-----And I don't think it hold 14 qts---Its more like 8 so
they get about 1/2 of it---
about $40-$60 for this way
Its a 30 min job to remove the pan--on a car with stock exhaust-If your exhaust is in the way maybe 1 hour--Even an hour would mean they are charging you $250 an hour !! here ( calif) Dealer labor rates are around
$100 hr and 8 qts if fluid and the filter/gaskt maybe $50
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 4,549
Likes: 30
From: Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Tell that dealer to pound sand !! If the car has not been tracked and only street driven, a fluid change should be fine. Find an independent shop that has one of the exchange machines, cost should be around $100-125.
